Research Programme Manager

(Please note: this role is known internally as Research Lab Manager)

Are you an experienced research professional looking to make a difference to children and young people’s lives?

Anna Freud is seeking a Research Lab Manager to join our world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. More information about Anna Freud is available on our website

Our EDI commitment

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and being an equal opportunities employer, whereby equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to our recruitment practices. All candidates who meet the job criteria will be considered for employment, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, caring responsibilities and care experience.

We ask candidates to share their diversity dimensions with us to help us identify, tackle and prevent bias across the employee lifecycle. We believe a diverse workforce enhances our ability to support mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to better meet the needs of the children, young people and families we serve.

As a Disability Confident employer, disabled candidates meeting our criteria are guaranteed an interview. Applications are submitted anonymously and assessed using a fair evaluation process based on the criteria set out in our job profiles.

What we offer

We offer a range of staff benefits including an all-in-one rewards and recognition platform called Perkbox and wellbeing offers such as finishing early on Fridays and free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme. We are proud to have staff-led Diversity Networks offering unique opportunities for learning, connection and impact.

This role offers the chance to work on high-impact mental health research, gain exposure to leading experts across Anna Freud and UCL, and take real ownership of projects from start to finish. You’ll build experience across a range of research methods, develop your profile through publications and funding work, and play a meaningful role in improving outcomes for children and young people. 

What you’ll do

A central role supporting the delivery of a programme of mental health research, coordinating projects, managing operations, and ensuring studies are delivered to a high standard from set-up through to completion.

• Coordinate and manage multiple research projects, ensuring timelines, risks, and deliverables are effectively tracked and met
• Oversee research operations, including data management, documentation, and project governance
• Lead on funder reporting and support grant applications and wider research opportunities
• Liaise with key stakeholders, including funders, NHS services, local authorities, and research participants
• Support and supervise junior team members while contributing to high-quality research outputs 

What you’ll bring

For the Reseach Lab Manager role, you will be an organised and proactive research professional, with strong experience managing complex projects and data, who can confidently coordinate studies, work with a range of stakeholders, and drive high-quality research delivery in a mental health setting. 

• Proven experience managing and coordinating large-scale quantitative or mixed-methods research projects
• Strong data management and administrative skills, with attention to quality, accuracy, and compliance
• Experience contributing to research outputs, including funder reports, publications, or dissemination activities
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and manage multiple deadlines independently, using initiative to solve problems
• Effective communication skills and experience working with diverse stakeholders, including supporting or supervising junior team members

Key details

Hours: Research Lab Manager

Salary: £46,062 FTE per annum, plus 6% contributory pension scheme 

Location: Hybrid (a mixture of home/onsite working): staff are working onsite for at least 20% of their working hours at our London site (4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH). Attendance in-person for meetings, as and when required.

Contract type: Permanent

Next steps

Closing date for applications: midday (12pm), Friday, 08 May 2026. Please note that due to high application volumes, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply promptly and to keep an eye on our future vacancies for more opportunities.

Notification of interview: shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than Friday, 15 May 2026. During shortlisting, applicants are anonymously assessed using the criteria visible in the Job Profile. Please note: due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Interviews: will be held in Week commencing 18 May 2026.

How to apply: please click on the 'Apply' button above to apply online. We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.

Questions?

Please email recruitment@annafreud.org with any job enquiries, or if you require assistance or experience difficulties when applying. Please note that successful candidate(s) will be asked to evidence their Right to Work in the UK post-job offer – we do not hold a sponsor license therefore we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.